Handles for brief cases and luggage



Feb. 5, 1957 L. LIFTON 2,

HANDLES FOR BRIEF CASES AND LUGGAGE Filed May 17, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 1'SK M Feb. 5, 1957 L. LIFTON HANDLES FOR BRIEF CASES AND LUGGAGE 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1955 INVENTOR.

Feb. 5, 1957 [F| ON 2,780,339

HANDLES FOR BRIEF CASES AND LUGGAGE Filed May 17, 1955 .3 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR- Q6 6.

a/ 4 BY United States Patent M HANDLES FOR BRIEF CASES AND LUGGAGE LewisLifton, New York, N. Y. 7 Application May 17, 1955, Serial No. 508,965

2 Claims. (Cl. 190-57) This invention relates to brief cases and luggageand more particularly to handles therefor. One object of the inventionis to provide an improved handle of the type referred to wherein afoldable blank constituting the body of the handle embodies flange meansadapted to be held in close juxtaposition to a one piece hollow keeperapplied to the blank after folding of the latter to characterize thehandle. Another object is concerned with a simplified handle wherein thekeeper comprises means cooperating with the handle to prevent accidentalremoval of the keeper from the handle. Other important objects andadvantages of the invention will appear from the following detailedspecification taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the handle in accordance with myinvention but illustrating the keeper thereof anchored to andappropriately concealing the outer and juxtapositioned margins of theoutside wrapper of the handle.

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and top views of Fig. l but before the keeper issecured to the handle.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged and exploded view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank before folding intojuxtapositioned complementary handle components.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the blank mounted on aflexible covering adapted to be wrapped and secured to the blank beforefolding the latter.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3, that is,after the wrapper is secured to the outside faces of the blank.

Figs. 8 and 9 are transverse sectional views on the lines 88 and 9-9 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 8, however showing the keeper coveredby an outside wrapper.

According to the invention, handle H comprises, the one piece sheetmetal substantially ring shaped blank B, the flexible wrapper orcovering W, and the keeper or retainer K. Blank B is provided withintermedially arranged webs or reduced portions 10 interconnectinginwardly concaved outwardly convexed sections S each provided with aperipheral laterally extending flange or lip 12. These lips are adaptedto be arranged in juxtaposition (Fig. 7) after the blank is folded alongwebs 10. Each section S may be said to embody spaced limbs 13 mergedwith bridge portion 14.

Wrapper W may be of leather, or any suitable flexible and foldablematerial. This wrapper has an inner interrupted margin defining spacedlips L adapted to be wrapped about the inner margins of sections andsecured within the sections against the concaved surfaces thereof andagainst the inside surfaces of webs 10.

Wrapper W is tightly and adhesively secured to the outside convexsurfaces of the complementary handle sections while the marginalportions 16 thereof are anchored to 2,780,330 Patented Feb. 5, 19 57 thelaterally extending peripheral flanges 12. Thereafter these margins 16in excess of the width of flanges 12 are sheared off.

With the wrapper adhesively secured to the blank, the latter is foldedalong the covered webs 10 to bring the covered complementary handlesections towards each other to the closed position of the handle shownin Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive.

To retain the handle sections in a fully closed relation the channelshaped inverted U-shaped one piece sheet metal keeper K is employed.This keeper in cross section is approximately C shaped having spacedlegs 20 interconnected by the bridge portion 21.

Tongues -22 depend from the lower parts of bridge 21 and serve as willbe hereinafter pointed out to prevent removal of the keeper, that is,after legs 20 are shifted down to receive and closely and frictionallyembrace the covered flanges 12 extending from limbs 13 and after bridge21 receives and closely embraces the covered flanges 12 of the bridgeportions 14 of the juxtapositioned handle sections. In other Wordskeeper K in fact closely and frictionally receives the covered andjuxtapositioned flanges of complementary handle sections after blank Bhas been folded along webs 10, holding the handle sections together andagainst accidental spreading apart. Keeper K is of a sheet metal andclosely grips the covered flanges 12 to pre vent spreading thereof.However, after the keeper is in its fully set position, tongues 22 arefirst bent inwardly into the openings of sockets SK defined by coveredWeb-s 10. Thereafter tongues 22 are bent upwardly against the lower ends25 of the juxtapositioned peripheral flanges 12, thus providinginterlocking means to prevent accidental removal of the keeper from theclosed handle sections.

In Fig. ll, the keeper K is along the lines of the embodiment accordingto Fig. 8 except that it has tightly secured thereto the flexibleWrapper 30.

Various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangementof parts without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein.

I claim:

1. A hollow handle, comprising; a one piece substantially ring shapedmetal member defining complementary U-shaped handle sections havingspaced exteriorly con vexed surfaces and spaced internally concavedsurfaces, said sections having spaced web means reduced relative to saidsections and disposed intermediate of said member and merged with saidsections, flange means extending outwardly from the outer margins ofsaid sections and free of said web means, a flexible wrapper having acent=rally arranged opening and defining a closed band embodying anintermediate portion secured smoothly and tightly against said convexedsurfaces and against the outside faces of said web means and havingouter marginal portions secured to the outside faces of said flangemeans of said sections and having an inner interrupted margin securedagainst said concaved surfaces and against the inside surfaces of saidWeb means, said web means being bendable for closing said sections toarrange said flange means in juxtaposition and to define spaced sockets,hollow cross sectionally substantially C-shaped keeper means closely andfrictionally straddling said marginal portions to hold said flange meansin juxtaposition for maintaining said closed relationship of saidsections, and means ex-- tending from said keeper means and disposedwithin said sockets to preclude accidental displacement of said keepermeans away from said flange means.

2. A hollow handle, comprising; a one piece substan-- tially ring shapedsheet metal member defining comple mentary U-shaped handle sectionshaving spaced exteriorly convexed surfaces and spaced internallyconcaved surfaces, said sections having spaced web means reduced.

relative to said sectionsrand disposed intermediate of said member andmerged with saidsections, flange means/e tending outwardly from theouter margins of said sections and free of said web means, said webmeans being bendable for closing said sections to'arrange said flangemeans in juxtaposition and to define spaced sockets, a keeper havingspaced sides closely and f-rictionally straddlingisaid flange meanstohold the latter in juxtaposition for maintaining'said closedrelationship of said sections, and means extending from said keeper anddisposed in part within said sockets and cooperating with said flangemeans to prevent accidental removal of said keeper from saidjuxtapositioned flange means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,470,355 Gluckman Oct. 9, 1923 2,563,134 Rornolt Aug. 7, 1951 2,694,477Romolt Nov. 16, 1954 2,719,557 Bell Oct. 4, 1955 2,747,706 Finkel'steinMay 29, 1956

